DAL
06-04-2009, 08:03 PM
Chief Bratton to be honored by queen of England
LA Times, 1:53 PM | June 4, 2009
In the world of the LAPD, rumors fly fast and furious. One of the most persistent in recent years has been that it is only a matter of time before Chief William J. Bratton hops the pond to become the head of Scotland Yard in London. British tabloid journalists feed the mill with frequent, breathless articles about the idea.
Today, the queen of England certainly didn’t do anything to dispel the notion that the U.K. digs L.A.’s top cop. With Bratton standing at his side at a morning news conference, British Consul General Bob Pierce announced Queen Elizabeth II’s decision to award the chief with the honorary title of commander of the most excellent order of the British empire.
Although it’s a title that may make some Angelenos giggle, it is no laughing matter for Britons. A step below knighthood, the honor is bestowed on about two Americans each year and is being given to Bratton in recognition of his “work to promote cooperation between the United States and United Kingdom police,” according to promotional material.
Bratton has long looked to Europe to help shape his ideas on policing, starting three decades ago when he was rising through the ranks of the Boston Police Department. In the post 9/11 era, his ties to high-level officials at Scotland Yard grew tighter as he cooperated closely with British police on anti-terrorism and crime suppression strategies.
British police, Pierce said, leaned heavily on Bratton for help when rethinking policing in Northern Ireland as part of the peace agreement between the Irish Republican Army and British government. Bratton will receive a very royal-looking medallion at a September ceremony at the British Embassy in Washington. He called the decision a “great honor.”
Bratton also discussed a hearing Monday before U.S. District Judge Gary Feess, who for the last nine years has overseen the LAPD’s efforts to implement a sweeping series of reforms imposed after the Rampart corruption scandal.
The chief said he was “cautiously very optimistic” that Feess would find the LAPD has completed the reforms and bring an end to the federal government’s watchdog role over the department.
“The LAPD is capable of policing itself,” said Bratton, who has made no secret of his belief that the federal oversight is a stigma on the department.
Bratton said he expected Feess would require the LAPD to continue to report to him on a few recently implemented reforms, including an effort to put video cameras in patrol cars and another to collect personal financial information from officers who frequently confiscate cash and contraband.
Bratton also drew attention to the city budget signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that calls for the department to shed 10% of its roughly billion-dollar budget. Trying to debunk the notion that the LAPD has been spared from serious cuts, Bratton said the budget, if approved by the City Council, would leave him no money in the coming fiscal year to pay higher salaries to the roughly 900 officers who are promoted each year into supervisor ranks.
A freeze on promotions, he said, could have a dramatic impact on how the department is run, as he would be unable to fill leadership positions as older officers retire. In a “worse, worse case scenario,” Bratton said he could foresee closing some police stations because of an insufficient number of supervisors.
He emphasized, however, that he did not expect the situation to reach such dire levels and said he hoped ongoing negotiations will result in money-saving concessions by city unions.
LA Times, 1:53 PM | June 4, 2009
In the world of the LAPD, rumors fly fast and furious. One of the most persistent in recent years has been that it is only a matter of time before Chief William J. Bratton hops the pond to become the head of Scotland Yard in London. British tabloid journalists feed the mill with frequent, breathless articles about the idea.
Today, the queen of England certainly didn’t do anything to dispel the notion that the U.K. digs L.A.’s top cop. With Bratton standing at his side at a morning news conference, British Consul General Bob Pierce announced Queen Elizabeth II’s decision to award the chief with the honorary title of commander of the most excellent order of the British empire.
Although it’s a title that may make some Angelenos giggle, it is no laughing matter for Britons. A step below knighthood, the honor is bestowed on about two Americans each year and is being given to Bratton in recognition of his “work to promote cooperation between the United States and United Kingdom police,” according to promotional material.
Bratton has long looked to Europe to help shape his ideas on policing, starting three decades ago when he was rising through the ranks of the Boston Police Department. In the post 9/11 era, his ties to high-level officials at Scotland Yard grew tighter as he cooperated closely with British police on anti-terrorism and crime suppression strategies.
British police, Pierce said, leaned heavily on Bratton for help when rethinking policing in Northern Ireland as part of the peace agreement between the Irish Republican Army and British government. Bratton will receive a very royal-looking medallion at a September ceremony at the British Embassy in Washington. He called the decision a “great honor.”
Bratton also discussed a hearing Monday before U.S. District Judge Gary Feess, who for the last nine years has overseen the LAPD’s efforts to implement a sweeping series of reforms imposed after the Rampart corruption scandal.
The chief said he was “cautiously very optimistic” that Feess would find the LAPD has completed the reforms and bring an end to the federal government’s watchdog role over the department.
“The LAPD is capable of policing itself,” said Bratton, who has made no secret of his belief that the federal oversight is a stigma on the department.
Bratton said he expected Feess would require the LAPD to continue to report to him on a few recently implemented reforms, including an effort to put video cameras in patrol cars and another to collect personal financial information from officers who frequently confiscate cash and contraband.
Bratton also drew attention to the city budget signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that calls for the department to shed 10% of its roughly billion-dollar budget. Trying to debunk the notion that the LAPD has been spared from serious cuts, Bratton said the budget, if approved by the City Council, would leave him no money in the coming fiscal year to pay higher salaries to the roughly 900 officers who are promoted each year into supervisor ranks.
A freeze on promotions, he said, could have a dramatic impact on how the department is run, as he would be unable to fill leadership positions as older officers retire. In a “worse, worse case scenario,” Bratton said he could foresee closing some police stations because of an insufficient number of supervisors.
He emphasized, however, that he did not expect the situation to reach such dire levels and said he hoped ongoing negotiations will result in money-saving concessions by city unions.